title: Involvement of granzyme B and perforin gene expression in the lytic potential of human natural killer cells.
abstract: Natural killer (NK) cells (CD3-) or large granular lymphocytes (LGL) spontaneously kill K562 targets but are unable to kill Daudi cells in the absence of IL-2 stimulation. IL-4 is reported to prevent or inhibit the IL-2-driven lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) generation in NK cells. Therefore, we wished to determine whether the antagonistic effect of IL-4 on IL-2-induced LAK activity might regulate the expression of genes encoding proteins involved in lysis, such as perforin, the pore-forming protein, or which are associated with lysis, such as granzymes A and B. By using in situ hybridization, we showed that, in addition to inducing LAK activity, IL-2 stimulation increased the amount of perforin and granzyme B mRNA at the single-cell level in 40 to 100% of the total CD3- LGL cell population. In addition, our results indicated that the stimulatory effect of IL-2 can be downregulated by IL-4 for both LAK activity and granzyme B and perforin gene expression. Here again, a decrease in the amount of specific mRNA per cell was noted. These findings suggest that modulation of the lytic machinery via lymphokines might be associated with regulation of the lytic potential of NK cells.
authors.affiliation: INSERM Unité U93, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Clément
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soulié
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Legros-Maida
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guillet
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cesar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sasportes
mesh_terms: D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D053804:Granzymes; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D054353:Perforin; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D054353:Perforin; D015847:Interleukin-4; C509213:GZMB protein, human; D053804:Granzymes; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases